Coilable tube device



Aug; 11, 1964' E. A. WEIR ETAL 3,

COILABLE TUBE DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1961 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 InventorsEDWARD A. WEIR FRANCIS H. MEE

' Filed Aug. 3, 1961 1 8- 11 1964 E. A. WEIR ETAL 3,144,104

COILABLE TUBE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.6

Inventor EDWARD A. WEIR FRANCIS H. MEE

United States Patent 3,144,104 COILABLE TUBE DEVICE Edward Arthur Weir,Toronto, Ontario, and Francis Herbert Arthur Mes, Aurora, Ontario,Canada, assignors to The De Haviliand Aircraft of Canada, Limited,Downsview, Ontario, Canada Filed Aug. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 129,184 2Claims. (Cl. 189-34) This invention relates to a self-supportingextensible tube adapted to be stored in a compact coiled form.

In the field of remote reading of physical data, such as for instance ofinstruments on space vehicles, or data collection in unpopulated areas,the use of extensible antennas as signal carriers is well known. Suchantennas are normally stowed in collapsed form for transportation to thedesired area, whereafter they are extended for use. Obviously, in thecase of transporting over great distances, the weight and compactness ofthe antenna are important considerations.

It is often a requirement to have an antenna which is substantiallyrigid or self-supporting, in which case prior methods have been to usetelescoping tubes or jointed rods resulting in a serious weight penaltyfor rigidity obtained. In addition, considerable friction is usuallypresent at the joints of the individual members, which necessitates theuse of power extension in the case of remote erection of the antenna.The increase in bulk and weight due to the power means in such casescontributes nothing to the desired operation of the antenna, and in factdetracts from the desirable features by further complication.

Furthermore, it is also often desirable to support remote readinginstruments and the like at some distance from the main carrier, such asradiation detectors on space vehicles, and in addition, to have themextensible for erection in a remote area. Rigidity, as in thebeforementioned case, is often a requirement for the supporting member,and again it is usually necessary to sacrifice lightness to obtain therequired rigidity.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anextensible tube being substantially rigid in the erected position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tube of thecharacter described adapted to be stored in a compact coiled form.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an extensible tubehaving suflicient strength to support instruments and the like on thefree end.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an extensible tubeadapted to be retracted and extended by power means, being compactlycoiled in the retracted position and substantially rigid in the extendedposition.

These and other objects and features of this invention will becomeapparent from a study of the following detailed discussion andaccompanying drawings of presently preferred embodiments.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device showing a fixed endposition;

m FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the reel taken on the line 22 inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the device as shown in FIGURE 1 havingthe end free and being provided with guide means;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of this inventionshowing a simplified form of the fixed end type;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a high energy device of the fixed endtype;

FIGURE 6 is a section through a backing drum taken on the line 6-6 inFIGURE 5;

ice

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a powered device of the free end typeadapted for power rewind; and,

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the device as shown in FIGURE 1illustrating an interlocking of the edges of the tube.

With reference to FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 2, a selfsupporting extensibletube device designated generally as 11 is shown comprising a reeldesignated generally as 12 and a coilable tube 13 partially woundthereon. Tube 13 is formed from a substantially rectangular elongatestrip of resilient material, such as for instance spring steel orberyllium copper, into a tubular shape having overlapping edges 14 and15, the material having sufficient flexibility to enable the tube to beopened flat without a permanent set, thereby allowing the strip toreturn to the tubular shape upon release thereof.

Reel 12 comprises a drum indicated as 16 having two halves 17 and 18,half 17 being threadably secured to half 18, whereby the drum may beshortened or lengthened. A pair of conical side discs 19 and 20 aresecured concentrically with drum halves 17 and 18 respectively, and haveinwardly dependent rims 21 and 22. As will be seen adjustment of drumhalves 17 and 18 will alter the distance between rims 21 and 22 ofconical discs 19 and 20. One end 23 of tube 13 is opened outsubstantially fiat and placed on drum 16 whereupon tube 13 is coiledabout drum 16. The distance between rims 21 and 22 is substantially lessthan the flattened width of tube 13, however at positions 24 and 25 tube13 is still partially curved, thereby reducing the overall width andallowing the tube to pass rims 21 and 22 to be coiled upon drum 16.

Upon most of tube 13 being coiled about reel 12 and 26 of tube 13 issecured by any convenient means, and reel 13 is released, whereuponenergy stored in the form of deflection within coiled tube 13 will causeunwinding. The escape of flattened tube 13 from the coil position onreel 12 depends upon tube 13 forming an arcuate shape thereof and thus areduction in width, in order to pass rims 21 and 22. Thus the releaseposition at 24 and 25 will always be tangential to the circumference ofthe coil upon drum 16, whereby the uncoiling motion will be in astraight line.

Referring to FIGURE 3, a second form of extensible tube is illustratedand designated generally as 27 and comprises coilable tube 28 partiallywound upon reel 29 in a manner similar to that disclosed in FIG. 1.Device 27 also has incorporated therein a tube guide designatedgenerally as 30, comprising rollers 31 and 32 rotatably mounted onshafts 33 and 34 respectively at a finite distance apart, at 35. Reel 29is rotatably mounted upon shaft 36 and is supported thereby in a frame(not shown) together with guide 39. Upon release of coiled tube 28, thetube will unwind from reel 29 and project through guide 30 reforminginto a tubular shape, and will be guided in a straight line by rollers31 and 32 until assuming the completely unwound or fully extendedposition. As before, rims 37 and 38 prevent uncoiling of tube 28 exceptin a tangential position, and furthermore lateral adjustment of rims 37and 38 will control the speed of uncoiling by pressural engagement withedges 39 and 40 of tube 28.

Referring to FIGURE 4, a third embodiment of this invention isillustrated, showing an extensible tube device designated generally as41, comprising a coilable tube 42 formed in a similar manner to tube 13shown in FIGURE 1 and having a supporting base 43 at one end 44. Theother end 45 of tube 42 is formed into a coil 46 whereby as previouslyexplained tube 42 is opened flat. Coil 46 is secured by a band 47 ofabrasion resistant material, such as for instance Teflon, having in thiscase ends 48 and 49 secured by a common paper clip b 50. Upon securingend 44 and base 43 and releasing coil 46, tube 42 will unwind in adirection tangential to coil 46 at positions 51 and 52 defined by band47. The flattened tube thus uncoiling and extending will reform into atubular shape with overlapping edges 53 and 54 at the position 55.

Referring to FIGURE and FIGURE 6, a fourth embodiment of this inventionis illustrated showing an extensible tube device designated generally as56 comprising power roller 57 and backing roller 58 rotatably mounted onshafts 59 and 60 respectively within frame 61. Pairs of projecting arms62 and 63 extend from frame 61 and have at their outer ends storage drum64 rotatably mounted thereon in shaft 65. A backing drum 66 is rotatablymounted on shaft 67 within frame 61 at end 68 parallel to storage drum64. Spring 69 pressurably biases backing drum 66 and storage drum 64together to hold a coilable tube 70, similar to tube 13 in FIGURE 1,passing through a guide 71 and coiled in an opened flat manner with thenatural curvature facing outwardly upon storage drum 64.

Radiused edges 72 and 73 on power roller 57, afford relief for highlystressed edges 74 and 75 of tube 70 preventing damage thereto during thecoiling and projection stages.

Upon securing end 76 of tube 70 and releasing device 56, tube 70 willuncoil from drum 64 through rollers 57 and 58, reforming into a tube,and projecting device 56 in a straight line tangent to power roller 57.

A fifth embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIGURE 7 showingan extensible tube device designated generally as 77 comprising a powerroller 78 and a backing roller 79 rotatably mounted on shafts 80 and 81respectively Within a frame (not shown). A storage drum 82 is alsorotatably mounted on shaft 83 within the same frame and is operablyconnected to power roller 78 by means of belt 84. Pulley 85 on powerroller 78 is substantially smaller than pulley 86 on storage drum 82,whereby upon rotation of roller 78, drum 82 will be driven at asubstantially slower rate of rotation. A tube guide, indicated generallyas 87, and comprising rollers 88 and 89 rotatably mounted on shafts 90and 91 respectively, is mounted in the aforementioned framesubstantially in line with a common tangent to rollers 78 and 79. Acoilable tube 92, similar to tube 13, is secured to and coiled aboutdrum 82 in an opened flat manner having the natural curvature facingoutwardly and has a free end 93 projecting through guide 87. The tube 92in passing through guide 87 has an open 0 configuration, the edges 94and 95 being held open by pressural engagement of the edges withperipheral slots 96 and 97 in power roller 78 serving the same purposeof stress relief as edges 72 and 73 (FIGURE 6). A power drive device,such as for instance reversible motor 98 and gear box 99, is operablyconnected to power roller 78, whereby operation of motor 98 will causerotation of roller 78, and thus drum 82, to wind tube 92 about drum 82.Belt 84 will tend to overdrive drum 82 thus tensioning tube 92 at theposition 100, ensuring a tight coil at all times.

Upon release of power roller 78 tube 92 will uncoil from drum 82 andproject through guide 87 reforming into a tubular shape. Motor 98 can beused during this extension phase to assist the uncoiling of tube 92.

A further refinement to the coilable tube is illustrated in FIGURE 8showing an extensible tube device designated generally as 101, being ofsimilar construction as device 11 in FIGURE 1. A reel 102 has coiledthereupon a coilable tube 103 having notched edges 104 and 105, wherebyupon uncoiling from reel 102 the edges interlock as shown at 106 forminga shear attachment. The securing of edges 104 and 105 transmits anytorsional loads imposed on the tube into longitudinal shear, therebyrigidifying the tube against twisting.

It is obvious that any one of the described embodiments can be utilizedas an extensible antenna for use on remote reading instrument carrierssuch as for instance space vehicles and the like. In addition, the typeas disclosed in FIGURE 7 can be utilized as an instrument boom tosupport any particular instrument away from the main carrier. Theinterlocking edges as illustrated in FIGURE 8 will resist torsionalstresses imposed by supported instruments under accelerating loads, aswell as wind loads in the case of the device being used as an antenna inremote terrestrial areas.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the invention comprises anelongate strip of resilient material permanently deformed into a hollowtube about the longitudinal axis thereof. The tube is wound into a coilwith the seam facing outwardly whereby the tube is opened flat duringcoiling, energy being stored therein, in the form of deflection of theedges of the tube. Restraining means are fixed about one side of thecoil, whereby upon uncoiling the direction of the uncoil will be astraight line tangent to the coil at the point of restraint.

Although some preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed, alterations in design can be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, and while still falling within thescope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A self-supporting tube device comprising: an elongate resilient strippermanently deformed into a hollow tube about the longitudinal axis; atube guide supported in a frame; a rotatably mounted reel in said frame;said reel consisting of a coil storage drum and a pair of inwardlydepending conical discs secured to each end and concentric therewith;said tube being inserted in said guide and coiled about said drum withthe seam facing outwardly, whereby said tube is temporarily opened flatwhile coiled; and the flattened width of said tube being greater thanthe distance between the rims of said discs, whereby upon release ofsaid reel, said tube will uncoil from said drum and project through saidguide in a straight line, reforming into a tubular shape.

2. A self-supporting extensible tube device comprising: an elongateresilient strip permanently deformed into a hollow tube with overlappededges about the longitudinal axis; a reel consisting of a storage drumand a pair of inwardly depending conical discs secured to each end andconcentric therewith; said tube being coiled about said drum with theseam facing outwardly, Where- 'by said tube is temporarily opened fiatwhile coiled; and

the flattened width of said tube being greater than the distance betweenthe rims of said discs, whereby upon securing the free end and releasingsaid reel, said tube will uncoil from said drum on a straight linetangent to said rims and reform into a tubular shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,906,456 Farrand May 2, 1933 1,947,392 Guntermann et al Feb. 13, 19342,130,993 Dubilier Sept. 20, 1938 2,157,278 Blackmore May 9, 19392,192,880 Cohn et al Mar. 12, 1940

1. A SELF-SUPPORTING TUBE DEVICE COMPRISING: AN ELONGATE RESILIENT STRIPPERMANENTLY DEFORMED INTO A HOLLOW TUBE ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS; ATUBE GUIDE SUPPORTED IN A FRAME; A ROTATABLY MOUNTED REEL IN SAID FRAME;SAID REEL CONSISTING OF A COIL STORAGE DRUM AND A PAIR OF INWARDLYDEPENDING CONICAL DISCS SECURED TO EACH END AND CONCENTRIC THEREWITH;SAID TUBE BEING INSERTED IN SAID GUIDE AND COILED ABOUT SAID DRUM WITHTHE SEAM FACING OUTWARDLY, WHEREBY SAID TUBE IS TEMPORARILY OPENED FLATWHILE COILED; AND THE FLATTENED WIDTH OF SAID TUBE BEING GREATER THANTHE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE RIMS OF SAID DISCS, WHEREBY UPON RELEASE OFSAID REEL, SAID TUBE WILL UNCOIL FROM SAID DRUM AND PROJECT THROUGH SAIDGUIDE IN A STRAIGHT LINE, REFORMING INTO A TUBULAR SHAPE.